Scholars, diplomats brainstorm on global peace

Scholars drawn from the academia and the diplomatic corps converged on Istanbul, Turkey, for a three-day international conference to examine the role of public diplomacy using culture in resolving conflicts among communities, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

For three days, the transcontinental city of Istanbul, Turkey, played host to scholars drawn from the academia and diplomatic corps. They were there for an international conference on: The role of public diplomacy in bringing conflicted communities together.

The conference probed the role of culture in public diplomacy for resolving conflict.

The conference was one of the fixtures of Global Public Diplomacy Network(GPDNet) General Assembly in Istanbul.

Three new countries were admitted into the Global Public Diplomacy Network(GPDNet), following a unanimous decision by member nations at the end of GPDNet’s fourth General Assembly held in Istanbul, Turkey penultimate week. The countries admitted were Qatar (full member), Lithuanian (associate member) and Mozambique (associate member), while Belarus and Pakistan were observers. The new additions bring to 13 the number of countries in the GPDNetwork, with Turkey (YunusEmre Institute) holding its current presidency.

Mr Darwish Ahmed, who led the Qatar delegation, said it was an honour to be admitted into the Network, pledging that Qatar will deliver and support the group in realising its goals and objectives. “With your strength we can do a lot as a body. It is an honour to be part of the group. Let’s look positive and think big,” he said.

President, Global Public Diplomacy Network, Prof Sefes Ates, said that the fate of societies and countries are more bond together than ever before, noting that there is potential struggle among the state and non-state actors over conflicting interests.

Prof Ates believed that Post-Westphalian conventional diplomacy tools would not be capable enough to develop multiple alternate solutions to the prevention of the existing and potential conflicts in the world. “Today we are witnessing that some international affairs scholars are trying to expand the influence of conventional diplomacy in order to transform and empower it, so as to be more proactive in the process of the prevention of potential global, regional and local crisis while they are strictly criticising the Post-Westphalian diplomacy understanding.

“Now, in the academia we are debating different forms of diplomacy like comprehensive diplomacy or integrative diplomacy which situates the strategic communication efforts of public and cultural diplomacy and diplomats at the forefront of the policy making process,” he said.

Continuing, he added: “In line with the transforming nature of the conventional diplomacy, as for YunusEmre Institute–cultural diplomacy agency of Turkey, we are promoting wider knowledge of Turkey, Turkish language, Turkish culture, Turkish history, Turkish music and fine arts in and around the world.”

He explained that in line with the vision of GPDNet, members strive to promote among others the following: collaborative activities, organise conferences, seminars, workshops and other educational events related to the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of public diplomacy;encourage collaboration in the visual arts, exhibitions, performances and publication sector to expand public awareness of cultural heritage;promote people-to-people exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and trust; and organise joint training programmes and personnel exchange to strengthen ties between members.

Lead paper presenter Brigitte Nacos, Colombia University, USA, said contrary to expectations, the advent of global television, internet and social media that should have engendered learning about each other’s cultures, traditions and values, has turned the world into electronic Tower of Babel with most people thinking, speaking and acting differently and unable to engage in meaningful learning.

She described stereotypes and ignorance as some of the threats to global peace and harmony, which she said, must be tackled offensively as a foremost goal of public diplomacy.

Nacos, who spoke on Public Diplomacy in the age of global communication, stated that in almost all societies, among all ethnic, racial and religious groupings, stereotypes about ‘the other’ exist and tend to be reinforced by both news and entertainment media. She said some are positive while most are negative and they are not weakened by the content of news media, government information campaigns. “Therefore, public diplomacy must move the second and third pillars of its triad-cultural exchanges and educational exchanges both with collaborative projects to the front burner.

“Most of what we know about the world and most of what we know about people abroad is second-hand knowledge.What is needed is first-hand knowledge about other people, other cultures, other religions and values. Tourism is a good thing but not enough to fill the knowledge gap. We need more people-to-people gatherings exchanging and sharing ideas, research, expertise, work together for goals we share,” she added.

Nacos noted that collaborative projects result in more and shared knowledge and understanding, citing the examples of Western-Eastern Divan Orchestra for young people founded 18 years ago by the Palestinian sociologist Edward Said and Jewish conductor Daniel Barenboim. The goal of the project, she said, is to bring young musicians from Palestine and Israel together on a neutral ground to work together, to get to know one another and to think about peace.

According to her, the collaboration, which started in Weimer, Germany never ended as it blossomed every summer moving from Spain to London, Paris and Berlin.

“Knowing more about different peoples and races and cultures and religions based on personal experiences, meetings, collaborations will not prevent disagreement but can help to understand others and temper our actions and reactions,” she added.

Other speakers included Luis Palma Castillo of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, BekirKarl of Alliance of Civilisations and Neville Bolt of King’s College, London.

At the close of the general assembly, it resolved that considering the fledging state of the network, absentee members would only be sanctioned after two or three consecutive absence from meeting. This is to allow for the growth of the network as well as to cater for any eventuality that may prevent members to attend general assembly or major collaborative projects. The secretariat also agreed to liaise with member states on collaborative projects to be undertaken within the public diplomacy framework using any genre of the arts.